Piracy is a big problem for the audio/visual (A/V) recording industry. Methods to combat the unauthorized copying of digital A/V media include (i) encrypting recorded media and (ii) forensic watermarking. With encrypted recording media, only authorized players are capable of decrypting the information (i.e., digital data), and such players do not allow the digital data to be copied correctly. In forensic watermarking, each distributed copy (e.g., on an optical disk, over a network, etc.), each output from a player, or each playback session, can be somewhat different. The differences can be detected, so that if the content is copied (e.g., using the analog output of a player) the guilty party can be tracked down. Forensic watermarking is used, for example, when pre-release DVDs are given to award judges.
Efficient watermarking utilizes the encoding process and existing content creation and authoring tools to introduce the watermarking technology at minimal overall cost and time in various markets, including: optical disk (e.g., DVD) or other pre-recorded (e.g., Flash) media distribution, broadcast media (e.g., digital broadcast satellite (DBS), digital cable, digital terrestrial), and point to point (e.g., internet streaming, pay-per-view (PPV), etc.) media distribution.
Existing watermarking schemes involve either (i) expensive decode/playback equipment, (ii) a single watermark for all copies of the content, (iii) an inability to customize individual media or (iv) creation of individualized content for each viewer. Since a great computational burden is imposed on the decode/playback device to impose the watermark in the ‘best’ way, the decode/playback device is expensive. A single watermark for all copies of the content can convey copy-no-more information, but is not suitable for forensic or copy-once watermarking. For example, in the case of copy once, a recording device is configured to detect the watermark and overlay a copy-no-more watermark. The ability to customize individual media (beyond on/off) or per player is only available when the player is manufactured or specific downloads of new software are performed. Current practice involves the creation of individualized content for each viewer. For example, in the case of award screenings, literally thousands of disks and tapes are individually watermarked and produced at tremendous cost.
It would be desirable to have a method and/or apparatus for recorded video broadcast, streaming, download, and/or disk distribution with watermarking instructions.